CONCERT BY MR. PARKER'S PUPILS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 70, 16 December 1907, Page 8

CONCERT BY MR. PARKER'S PUPILS.

Tho concert given in the Sydney Street Schoolroom on Saturday evening by Mr. Robert Parker's pupils was very well attended, the hall boing taxed to its full seating capacity. Among the performers were some debutantes who • showed excollont promise, and moro will, no doubt, be heard of them .it some future timo. One or two of the others are already favourably known to the musical public, and very great improvement was apparent. Tho programme consisted of vocal and pianoforte items, and war, tastefully selected. Of • the vocalists Mrs. F. P. Wilson could scarcely be classed as a pupil in the same sense as the others. Mrs. Wilson is already known to us as a cultured amateur, possessed of a sweet, drawing-room voico, admirably suited for chamber music. Her items consisted of two songs, " Spring" and "Good Morning," both by Greig. "Good Morning" was exceptionally well snhg. Special mention must also bo made of Miss Newman, a young singer of great promise. Her rendering of "Du bist wie eine 'Blume" (Rubinstein) and "Oh Sad my Heart" (Tschaikowsky) was very good indeed. Miss Matthows gave a .pleasing interpretation of Spohr's "lloso Queet of Flow'rots." U'ho Misses Veitch, who were obviously norvous, sang two duets, "The Passage Birds' Farewell" (Mendelssohn) and "Over the Waters" (Max Stango). These two young debutantes will do well to avoid singing with tlioir books on future occasions. Singers should cultivate tho art of delivering their contributions to any entertainmont as far as possible from memory. The art of singing and playing from memory is sometimes underrated by teachers of music, although Mr. Parker himself is a firm believer in.it. If any music score be taken into the concert platform at all, it should serve merely as an occasional roforenco. The major part of the programme was taken up by pianoforte items, somo of which were very creditably interpreted. Among these might bo mentioned Liszt's "Concert Study in E Flat," by Miss Haste; " Heimweh" (Greig) and "Two Preludes" (Chopin), by Miss Kirk; the "Tema con varinziono" from Beethoven's Sonata in A Flat (op. 26), by Miss Treadwell; "Hondo a Capriccio" (Beethoven), by Miss Ludwig—this pianist is just a little inclined to "thump" with tho left hand. The first) three numbers of tho programme—"ltalian Concerto," first movement (Bachi by Miss Edwards; "Allegro con brio," from Beethoven's Sonata in C Major, by Miss Martin; and tho "Adagio" and "Allegro" from Schubert's fantasia "The Wanderer," by Miss Gilbert—were very artistically rendered. A word of praise inu£t also be given to little Miss Edmondson, who jjave a very good interpretation of Carreno 6S "Valse in D Major." . Miss Allport's item, "Rondo iu D Major, was a very good exposition of technique. Other items were Andante, with Variations" (Schumann), for two pianos, by.Misses Simpson and Treadwell; "Melodie" (Moszkowski),. by Miss Sturtevapt; "Valse Caprici" (Rubinstein), Miss Antill; "Mazurka in A Flat" (Chopin), by Miss V. IJirk; and the concluding item, •a . striking overture, Weber's "Jubilee," for two pianos— first piano, Misses Simpson and Kirk; second piano, Misses Haste and Treadwell. During the interval tea was dispensed to the audience, and during the second part-Mr. .Toynt made some congratulatory references to Mr. Parker's work as a teacher of music. At the conclusion of the performance Mr. Parker briefly thanked the audience, and wished his pupils a merry Christmas.